OpenFender is here to streamline the process of getting racers sponsored with modern and secure payment tools that allow fans to fund those racers and get them on the track every weekend. We want to ensure that the best racers, regardless of financial background, are competing for the betterment of the sport and the entertainment of the fans. Your account on OpenFender is your access to a fan-sourced funding platform from grassroots all the way to top sponsorship.
OpenFender is a group of motorsports enthusiasts led by founder Mason Filippi with one simple goal - funding performance. Check out our About Us page and learn more.
We built OpenFender for the racing community to create a path towards sponsorship and professional status. We understand that racers are seeking support and opportunity, not charity. Racing fans and funders aren't looking to give handouts - they simply want to be a part of your team and part of the racing success. We all win when racers are competing on the track, not with others who are in need of charitable help or business funding.
Any and all motorsports racer, regardless of track or format. If you race on pavement, dirt, snow or even virtually in e-racing, we want to help get you funded.
FundChaser is an Exclusive program that connects sponsors with motivated racers, improving the effectiveness of sponsorship programs by focusing on fan engagement and driver outreach - the most important things brands look for in their representatives. Racers demonstrate their value by promoting the products that align with their racing, market and personality, helping them hone and develop the ambassador skills they'll need in their sponsored racing careers. Sponsors can vet racers and choose those who demonstrate they are the right voice for the brand while supporting the sport at the grassroots level. Gone are the days where brands give out money in exchange for a sticker on the vehicle or helmet and a hope for a podium. Sponsors need their racers to connect with fans and customers with personality and consistency.
Yes. Supporters need to know who they are funding and where those funds are going. The more supporters and sponsors can connect with racers, the more funding will flow to the account, so a complete and compelling profile serves everybody best. Supporters don't need a profile to fund racers.
We require Name, Email, Password, Racing Category, and a Profile Image or Icon. A complete profile will increase your funding chances.
Your supporters want to connect with you. Use a picture with your face and add others to show your race gear, vehicles, podiums, and time with your friends and fans.
In your profile editor, you copy your social media link (e.g., https://www.instagram.com/masonfilippi/) and paste it in the appropriate section. We automatically turn it into a clickable button on your profile.
No. You can have one profile with multiple vehicles. If you like, you can create separate sponsorship or fundraising campaigns for specific goals in each category.
We recommend filling out each section on the profile and creating at least one campaign. Sharing your profile link on social media will also bring more attention to each aspect of your OpenFender profile and other social media profiles. Check our Best Practices page.
It's easy and you can get funded by anyone! Simply create a profile, set up your fundraising goal or just use the Boost feature. Share your personal OpenFender QR code or just direct your fans to your OpenFender page. Your supporters will contribute and we'll do the rest.
As often as people support you. OpenFender will process your payout based the schedule you choose and move the funds into your account using your preferred payment method.
OpenFender was built specifically for the needs of racers and will be the easiest platform for you and your supporters. It's the best way to share payment options while protecting your privacy and personal banking details. Other platforms are designed for occasional personal money transfers and often frequent pay-ins on those other platforms raise red-flags in fraud systems and lead to locked accounts. OpenFender is designed for the volume of funding from various sources you need to successfully fuel your racing goals. You will have the marketing and promotion support, and the reporting and tools needed for accounting and for growing into a sponsorship level racing category. Your sponsors will appreciate using a platform that makes it easy to track their contributions. Take the guess-work out of sponsorship!
They simply scan your QR code or visit your site and enter the payment details. OpenFender handles the processing and moves the money into your account.
There is no cost to have an OpenFender profile and there are no out-of-pocket costs for racers to use the site. Open Fender does have a 10% of donated-funds charge to maintain the site, personal QR codes, racer profiles, hosting photos/videos, promotions, racing advocacy and for soliciting new sponsors for our racing base (look for the new FundChaser program launching this month!). We pass along the payment transaction fees to the funders so that this is not deducted from the racers accounts. These are direct fees from the credit card companies and payment processors and are not marked up. These cover the fees from Visa and Mastercard, anti-fraud providers, compliance and anti-money laundering programs to ensure your funds are safe and secure.
OpenFender has two tiers of fees - payment processing fees and site fees. Payment processing fees are pure pass-along from the credit card companies and networks and cover the cost of the transaction, anti-fraud measures, anti-money laundering and security, payment authorizations, etc. We charge this to the funders so that drivers are not impacted at all. Site fees are what keeps the OpenFender site live and covers the racers' personal pages and QR codes, community advocacy and outreach, sponsorship solicitation and a host of other behind-the-scenes work that we're doing to give you the best possible and most secure funding tool available.
Your funds can be used for any or all of your racing needs - tires, parts, track fees, travel, licenses, etc. Use your fundraising option to set a specific category and goal and let supporters know how their money will be setting you up to compete and win.
Absolutely, OpenFender has gone global! We support international payouts through Stripe, making it possible for racers from a wide array of countries to benefit from our platform. Here's our current list of supported countries as of 9 April, 2024:
Setting up international payouts on OpenFender is easy. Simply navigate to the Payment Info section under your profile and click the Set up payout account button to start the Stripe registration process. Choose your country from the dropdown menu and follow Stripe's setup instructions. Please note that once your Stripe account is activated, the country setting cannot be changed. Don't see your country listed? Reach out to us at [email protected], and we'll work to include your region as quickly as possible.
If you initially selected the wrong country, go to the Payment Info area in your profile and select the Disconnect Stripe option. After disconnecting, hit the Set up payout account to initiate the Stripe registration anew. Select the correct country from the dropdown and proceed with Stripe's guidelines. Remember, you'll need to use a different email from the one initially provided.
Boost is how your fans will support you at any time! Put up your QR codes at races, on Tee Shirts, or anywhere you can imagine to get the support from your fans. Every dollar counts in racing. The boost categories are in order to set you up with what you need! Fundraising campaigns are for fan-sourced specific goals. Supporters can watch fundraising progress and contribute as they like to ensure the target is met. Fans engage for that large ticket item knowing that the racing community is behind it. Sponsorship is money in exchange for advertising or marketing. That is, your sponsor's logo or message on your vehicle or uniform. Think of it as buying visibility when you're on the track, podium and at events. You can sell a specific space and work with your sponsors on the logo and message.
We recommend contacting the racer for images of your sponsorship. Your company logo on the side of a car is great for advertising through your own social media as well. Bring your team to the race and go support your racer!
You'll be instrumental in their competition and success. When funding a racer you support them in their journey to fulfill their dreams and increase the quality of competition at the same time. Some racers will engage with their funders with Hero Cards, stickers, shout-outs, or giveaways.
We encourage drivers and teams to use the “Custom” Section for OpenFender. This can be used for things like - Helmets, Suits, Social media, streaming and anything else you can think of.
You can follow these steps to become a professional race car driver:
Sponsorships and endorsement deals from major companies contribute to how much money a race car driver earns. Better results, a good personality, and fan engagement will help persuade sponsors to support you. You will make money from the deals you negotiate and through the teams that sign you to drive. Just know, getting to be a paid racer is a journey in itself. In the early stages, you will be funding your own racing, and in some cases may actually be paying the team to let you drive their car. As you advance, hone your skills, and see some good results and podiums, the dynamic will change, making you attractive to brands who want you to represent them with product or funding. Use OpenFender's boost and crowdfunding features to raise funds from supporters in the early stages and use OpenFender's sponsorship sales to sell space on your vehicle, helmet, race suit, or transportation trailer as you make a name for yourself.
Motorsport sponsors are looking for a racer who stands out, who has a great personality that connects with their customer base and who would make a great brand ambassador. That is, you have to bring value by encouraging new and existing customers to buy the sponsor's product. Engagement is key. We are past the days of supporting money in exchange for a simple logo on the side of a car or helmet. Sponsors want an ambassador who connects with fans and fosters brand loyalty. Demonstrating this ability while bringing a new fan base will help you find good sponsors.
Race car sponsorship costs vary widely depending on the level of exposure the sponsor is looking for. On average, a small local race team may charge around $500-$5,000 per season, while a larger team may charge $20,000 or more for a single race. Some teams offer multi-race or full-season packages, which may provide a discount. The sponsorship fee typically covers the cost of the car's paint job, decals, and pit passes for the sponsor's representatives. Additionally, larger sponsorships may include hospitality packages and media exposure.
According to Business Insider, over the 38 race NASCAR season, primary sponsors will pay between $5 and $35 million dollars. While expensive, primary sponsors have their logos placed on the hood, rear quarter panel, TV panel, deck lid and roof panel. But this is sponsorship at a national televised level. Karting, Club Racing, Local Series and others are much cheaper with sponsorships available for $20,000 and below.
4 tips to get your car build sponsored:
Race car drivers earn much of their money through sponsorships and endorsements from major companies, whose logos adorn the drivers' vehicles and outfits.
You can deduct your running gear if you treat racing as your business. If you race to make money and earn a profit, the IRS would consider you a small business owner. In that case, you would need to report your race winnings, and you could also deduct expenses. Make sure you use a platform like OpenFender to track your contributions.
Tires, entry fees, travel, maintenance, fuel, parts, helmets, gear, tools, repairs, racing suits, gloves, shoes, transportation, hauling, paint, registration and others are a short list of the items you can use OpenFender to source funding for.
Have a plan and have a voice and use these tips: